MLB.com's Carrie Muskat has been covering Major League Baseball since 1981 and is the author of "Banks to Sandberg to Grace: Five Decades of Love and Frustration with the Cubs." You can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. Here, she blogs about the Cubs.

Bradley appeal

Milton Bradley was expected to meet with MLB disciplinarian Bob Watson during the Cubs’ two-game trip to Houston, which starts Wednesday. Bradley is appealing a two-game suspension issued after he allegedly made contact with home plate umpire Larry Vanover during an argument. The Cubs feel Bradley should’ve been fined, since video replays show the outfielder barely touched Vanover. The contact appears to only be made by the bill of his cap.

– Carrie Muskat

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39 Comments

Why didn’t he just serve his suspension while he was rehabbing his groin? The Cubs could have just not listed him as day to day and it would all be over. Now he’s likely to get suspended. He is who he is. Hot temper and all. It was just a matter of time before he went “Milton” on someone.

i wish milton had served his suspension. cubs brass were probably trying to show him they’d stand by him ORRRR he flat out refused and they didn’t want to make a public scene. i’ve said in other places that he needs to relax and get in a groove and once we give him a chance, then we can criticize him but this stunt makes it harder for me to stand by those words.
and triznathanial, i hope i’m not the only one who really doesn’t appreciate gay-bashing on this forum. it’s juvenile and it’s hateful. if you think something looks silly or ridiculous, say so but please don’t resort to comments that express hate against a group of people. i’m a straight man and i have a lot of gay folks in my life who matter to me (as, if the numbers are true, you do too whether you know it or not) and i feel strongly about speaking out about this kind of thing.

Wow! mcsoule, saying something looks gay is now “Gay Bashing”??? Why can’t you assume triznathanial was using one of the other definitions of gay, like cheery: bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer. I did not get the feeling that triznathanial was expressing hate in his comment. Maybe you should lighten up a little.

The continual badmouthing of Bradley by Cubs fans is stupid. I watched that game on TV and several replays. Bradley did not deserve to even be thrown out of the game, let alone fined. All he did was voice a deserved opinion disagreeing with the umpire’s call. It was definitely a borderline pitch and other players frequently express a difference of opinion with ball and strike calls. No contact was apparent, and if there was contact it was accidental and so minor as to be ignored. Bradley didn’t even appear to be angry when he addressed the umpire after the call. This was an instance of a player being treated unfairly due to reputation and not for the action in question.

Milton, Go Straight to Jail. Do Not Pass Go, Do not Collect $200. Stay in jail for all I care. What a waste! Can anybody tell me what Milton Bradley is doing on the Cubs? What position is he supposed to play?

Whether Bradley deserves to be suspended or not I think is irrelevant, he should have taken the higher road, accepted the two days while he was less than 100% and do right by his team. Instead he showed his immaturity. Now that I think of it he is playing so poorly it wouldn’t matter if he was less than 100% or not, either way he is not performing enough to justify a full time spot. Lou is semi-regularly sitting Soto for lack of performance why not Bradley?
For that matter WHY NOT LEE????????????
Our best hope is that Hendry gets suspended for STUPIDITY for signing Bradley instead of Ibanez or Abreu.
Somebody has to take over for Hendry and right the direction of this team regardless if we make the play-offs or not. Because as we all know, IF we do make the play-offs it will be because Lou pulled off another quality job managing Hendry’s mistakes, and even that is less likely now that Lou is drinking the same STUPID KOOLAID that Hendry is drinking.

The Pitch was Ball four. If the Ump made the call on the ball
instead of how the Catcher caught it we would of had a one run lead and none of that would of happened and we probably would of won that game. Even the Pitcher that threw the pitch When asked just said it was too close to take.

Ball, strike, still irreleavant. The call is the call, nobody including Bradley has any CONTROL over a strike call. What he did have control over is how to handle, yes, a BAD STRIKE CALL, but a strike call none-the-less. Besides, that particular at bat at that time from that hitter called for putting the ball in play or driving in some runs, he is after all a run producing hitter put in the line up spot calling for just that…PRODUCTION, he was not at the bottom of the order with “getting on base” in mind. It was a bad decision on Bradley’s part to even try to get a walk. Two strikes, CLOSE PITCH, RBI GUY = SWING!!!

This is not an issue about Miltons past. in the past he would have continued to argue, made a scene in the dugout, and received a bigger fine and suspension. He only did what any other player would do in that situation. he was in the heat of battle, and threw his two cents in, and was done with it. it didn’t continue to argue and simply walked away.
and as for Hendry he is doing a great job. if lou didnt want Bradly they would not have signed him. I think the Bradly signing will be better down the stretch then Abreu and Ibanez. Bradly is a switch hitter so he doesn’t have to sit every time we face a lefty. or when they bring a lefty to come face him they wont have to pinch hit for him.
The Cubs will be fine. by this time next month this will all be forgotten.

With the Bases Loaded and less then two outs a
low inside Breaking pitch is a Doubleplay ball waiting
to Happen. Thats why Wainwright Threw that pitch.
The Best Bradley could of done with it was foul it off.
I do agree with you, He is in there for Production.
I still think he will start hitting.

The suspension was bogus and every single person who watched the “incident” knows it. If it had been any other player arguing a bad call (because it was three horrible calls in a row) they would have been ejected and that would be the end of it. But because of Milton’s volatile past, he’s been unfairly persecuted. He’s never going to be able to change if umpires continue to single him out. Ergo, the appeal on principle. Yes, it would have been more efficient to serve the suspension he was hurt – but taking it without an appeal is letting the umpires get away with this behavior. Most likely, the suspension will be reduced to one game – and Lou will be resting Milton a lot anyway.

He appealed his suspension because he feels he didn’t do anything that deserve a suspension. If you got suspended from your job for something you didn’t feel deserved a suspension, and had an opportunity to fight it, wouldn’t you?

Thats what I love to hear! Bradley is a switch hitter so we don’t have to choose our times to play him! So why isn’t he ever playing? Oh, I forgot, he’s an outfielder who injures his hamstring when he leads off second! ‘Do Not Pass Go’ Bradley is just working out Maaaaaaaaavelously!

Yeah, I remember one of those low breaking balls that fool the batter and make them look silly. Manny looked silly as he was golfing one of those out of the park in Game 1. It’s a good thing that Hendry didn’t waste a lot of money on him!

Yes, please let one us amateur GMs take over and IF Lou wanted Bradley he is as much to blame. I would not and will not argue Bradley being a GOOD HITTER, he is. He just belongs in the Amercian league in order to reduce his risk of injury and limit his liability playing the field. He has to play on a regular basis to be of any value to this National League team WHEN he starts to hit. And of course just because I think signing him was a BAD MOVE, I certainly would rather have him rebound and be the hitter he is capable of being than not just to prove me right. He has ALREADY been unable to play on a regular basis one month into the season. Ibanez or Abreu never showed signs of being a platoon type hitter, they would not have to be substituted according to the pitcher.
They may hit better against righty or lefty but in no way need to platoon. I agree with at least one thing jen52683 points out…Lou will rest Bradley a lot, because he’ll have no choice, making my point that he will not play REGULARLY enough to justify his contract. I could have seen taking a chance with a one year deal but three years? And EIGHT years for Soriano? The curious case of Jim Hendry and his delusion of these primadonnas aging backwards…

I can understand wanting to be heard when you think you’ve been unfairly singled out. However, when you have a chance to take your suspension at a time when you’re hurt and can’t play anyway and by doing so, your team doesn’t suffer for it and instead, you decide that your personal interests are more important than the team, I have a problem with that. I have defended Bradley in the past, mostly because I have a lot of faith in Jim Hendry and if this is that last incident like this, all will be forgotten; but I must admit that I’m starting to have my doubts.

Milton, i know you are an intense guy and an absolute stud at the plate. I just wish that you could relax at the plate. Now i’m not a professional but it seems to me that you are pressing a little bit. I know that 3 years/ $30 million is pressure but all you need to do is relax and be yourself. I don’t mind him appealing the suspension or even his intensity. I just want you to relax milton and start crushing National League pitching like i know you can!

Milton, i know you are an intense guy and an absoulte stud at the plate. I just wish that you could relax at the plate. Now i’m not a professional but it seems to me that you are pressing a little bit. I know that 3 years/ $30 million is pressure but all you need to do is relax and be yourself. I don’t mind him appealing the suspension or even his intensity. I just want you to relax milton and start crushing National League pitching like i know you can!

THANK YOU, biddy27! I KNOW. But none are as stupid as joeydafish. I mean WOW…that guy knows literally NOTHING about baseball. He can’t even spew empty ESPN rhetoric, which is already the lowest form of “analysis” as it is.

You gotta love the intensity of ‘Do Not Pass Go’ Bradley! He is one intense benchwarmer! He is so intense, he strains his hamstring as he leads off second! I didn’t see him actually start to run to third so he must have done it while he was leading off the base. Gotta love that intensity and dedication! I’d pay another $10 mil for another high intensity benchwarmer like him any day! What position does he play anyway … does anybody know?

Agreed. You can tell these guys never played sports. ‘jerseycubsfan’ is a real piece of work. That’s probably the guy that charged the field a coulpe of years back when Howry was on the mound. They should conduct a mandatory IQ test prior to posting any remarks.

Can’t hit the ball … take it out on the umpire. Wow! There is one intimidating dude! We need more intensity like that! Can’t knock Lay Down Lou for intensity, though! He’s so fired up to prove his competitive desire, he puts the minor leaguers in to face the reigning Cy Young pitcher! You can almost smell the intensity of this team! I heard that Do Not Pass Go Bradley was chomping at the bit at the start of the last game. Oh, what was that? He didn’t start? He must be so intense he’s exhausted!

It seems that Bradley never accepted responsibility for any of his actions in the past, why should things be different with the Cubs. Bradley deserved the suspension. His actions went beyond simply arguing the call.

Wrigleyvilleusa, first thanks for assuming I’m a guy, that says a lot…also, please accept my sincerest apologies for stirring up such anger that you would annoint me the most stupid of ALL of us stupid fans. I would also like to apologize for my following stupidity:
Signing Soriano, an all or nothing undisciplined free swinger (check out his RISP BA) with limited defensive skills, one position player (DH), suspect legs, diminishing running game
TO AN EIGHT YEAR CONTRACT.
Signing a very good defensive right fielder (Fukodome) one year and then SIGNING ANOTHER RIGHT FIELDER with avg defensive skills THE NEXT YEAR forcing my manager to turn the good right feilder into just an avg centerfeilder.
Trading one of the most versatle, healthY, athletic, productive players in DeRosa for 3 minor leaguers leaving a huge void at backing up my newly acquired, injury prone sub avg defensive right feilder and my third baseman who I KNEW would at least need to be rested if not suffer an injury.
Turning a decent bullpen into a questionable bullpen by replacing Wood with Gregg instead of just adding Gregg, screwing with Samarjda as a starter then reliever then starter then reliever and now starter again.
Trading Marquis, a viable 5th/spot starter/long relief man for Vizcaino, AND THEN RELEASING VIZCAINO.
Miles’ playing time
Not trading Lee while I could get something for him
Haffpaur’s lack of playing time
Bobby Scales love story
Even considering Bako as back up catcher
Not signing Blanco as a back up catcher
Having my manager play short handed because I didn’t DL Ramirez.
Wait…those were Hendry’s decisions.
I wonder if there is anybody else besides you and bippy27 that think all the above moves were GOOD.
Anyway, it was good to see Milton Berle get a single last night and score on Johnson’s triple without pulling a hamstring. And I sure do hope that despite my disdain for Hendry’s moves that these Cubs do pull off another playoff run. Why would anybody complain WHEN Bradley starts hittng? The thing is WE’RE STILL WAITING. I think he’ll EVENTUALLY start hittiing and I bet jerseycubsfansfan thinks he’ll start hitting too, but didin’t we think that April of this year was included in the 3 year 30 million contract?
Doesn’t matter when he hits, a 3 year deal for him like the 8 year deal for Soriano does not make for a good GM.

First…..trading away a clutch hitter like DeRosa was stupid and ADDING gregg to a bullpen with kerry wood would have been a much better idea….think of how many MORE games the cubbies would have won ALREADY with those two in the lineup….Second…if Bradley is not going to hit he needs to stay where he is (on the bench) that way will not have to count on him in a tight situation

Cubsfan19722: Smart guy/gal. You are right consider all the headaches over the last two or three weeks that could have been avoided by just having DeRosa and Wood available. How many errors have we seen in the infield this year anyway. A sure-handed DeRosa at 2B, 3B, or RF and we’ve got four or five more wins.

Hendry’s really screwed up a good thing by saying good-buy to those two. Good -buy because Cleveland knows how to spend money wisely – unlike Hendry!

Man some of you really are on fire today. joeydafish is on the money – everything about Lee, Bako (what were they thinking??!!), Blanco, Ramirez on the DL, Haffpauir, playing with so few actual available players since they left the Ram and Lee (he needs to go while someone might think he’s got some value) on as day to day (I’m surprized they made the logical choice to put Carlos on the DL-maybe they finally listened to our rantings!!)

Cubbeeblue, I was thinking the same thing about putting Zambrano on the DL, that was a good call. If Hendry made it I can FINALLY, give him some credit. But it probably was an easy decision considering the grade 2 tear, so ANY GM would have made that call. Thanks for redeeming me…maybe I’m not the most stupid of stupid people after all. GOOD CALL about Cleveland spending WISELY as oppossed to Hendry, I wonder how much better they would be if given ALL the resources at Hendry’s disposal?
It seems trading for DeRosa and signing Wood may not be enough to get them contending.

cubbieblue,
i was not only speaking of DeRo’s defense (which will be GREATLY missed from what i have seen) but how many times already this season have the cubbies left the basses loaded in an inning and had less than two outs with them loaded to start with i think if DeRo was in the line up with that clutch hitting of his more often than not when we needed him to come up with a knock he did it….maybe not power but he brought his teammates around…btw its gal…lol

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